The Padlocks of Paris

Paris is the world’s most romantic city. From all around the globe people come to walk its charming streets, admire its many galleries and eat at its many pavement cafes. There is also another way to celebrate your love – if you really want to – by adding a padlock with the name of yourself and your beloved to one of the bridges of Paris.

There are thousands and thousands of padlocks. So many that the authorities of Paris are having to act to discourage the romantic expression that recently wrecked the wire mesh of the Pont des Arts with54 tonsof padlocks.

The authorities despair trying to find a balance between Paris’ reputation as the ultimate romantic city and the horrifying weight of the expressions of love. No sooner are they removed than hundreds more appear! And while this might be the ultimate romantic expression, apparently when people fall out of love, they try to come back and remove the padlocks too causing even more problems!

Even New York City is not immune to the craze, although their measures seem to be of the sternest kind, and you can find out a bit more of the ‘love lock’ histyory here.

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Paris has also got its share of con-artists who loiter around the bridges – these people may offer you a gold ring and say ‘did you lose this?’ as a preface to some kind of extortion or begging. Travellers beware!

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We saw these padlocks when we visited Paris. It was really neat, but then we read about how they all weighed so much that the bridge was becoming unsafe.meowmeowmans recently posted…Opt to Adopt – Oreo

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